Falling in love comes with its fair share of risk. There are many unknowns to consider at the beginning of any relationship, including intention, longevity, and shared future goals. Statistically speaking, cultivating a successful long term relationship is a rare event! But when you meet your soul mate–your person– suddenly, the risk becomes worth taking. No challenge is too difficult when you’re facing it together. In the heart-heavy drama, We Live in Time, a couple is forced to re-evaluate major life decisions after a cancer diagnosis puts an expiration date on their future.

A Love Story Takes a Devastating Turn

Directed by John Crowley (Brooklyn), We Live in Time stars Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield as partners who attempt to make the most of their time together after receiving devastating news. Told in a non-linear structure, the film begins with Almut (Pugh) learning that her ovarian cancer has returned. This time, it has metastasized to Stage 3. Having already fought and beat cancer once, the thought of doing it all over again is exhausting. She proposes an unorthodox idea to Tobias (Garfield): what if she skips chemo and together, they make the most out of 6 really good months rather than 9 months of chemo-ridden horrible ones?

Watch the We Live in Time trailer here.

From here, the film jumps backward in time to tell each character’s backstory. Almut is a professional chef and Tobias is a recent divorcee. They were never destined to cross paths until their unconventional meet-cute when Almut accidentally runs Tobias over with her car. After the pain meds wore off the sparks flew, and the unlikely couple proceeded to have a whirlwind romance.

Of course, they had their share of hard moments too. The most challenging moment comes when Tobias asks about Almut’s desire for children since he sees fatherhood in his future. The question puts Almut off, and their relationship dramatically hits the brakes. But when Almut falls ill and is told by doctors that she has ovarian cancer, putting her childbearing chances near zero, she realizes that actually does want a family with Tobias one day. It’s the classic you want what you suddenly can’t have.

“It’s OK Not to Be OK”

When the film cuts back to the present day, Almut and Tobias are raising their daughter together. Mindful that their time as a family of three is limited due to Almut’s diagnosis, Tobias makes sure they prioritize quality time. Almut, however, is more compelled to work and spends hours a day preparing for an upcoming invitation-only culinary competition. Tobias is enraged, hurt, and devastated. When questioned why she prefers to spend time in a kitchen over her own family, Almut gives the most painful answer: “I can’t bear the thought of being forgotten.”

The passion and competitiveness that makes Almut such a talented chef are, ironically, the same qualities that threaten to disrupt her relationship. Almut has been a fighter her whole life, which is why her decision to stop fighting the cancer is so devastating.

Strong Performances Energize an Otherwise Flat Script

We Live in Time is a fairly conventional romantic drama that could have benefitted from an infusion of energetic catharsis. While the subject matter is predominately melancholy, the film attempts to lighten the mood with humor. While some of the comedic moments land, more often than not they end up falling flat. At times, the editing could have been tighter to drive home a more powerful scene. The soundtrack, scored by Bryce Dessner, also comes across as too nice and bright for the circumstances. These few but important misses do a disservice to the film that, otherwise, seemingly had awards potential.

The chemistry on-screen between Pugh and Garfield is magnetic and undeniably the film’s greatest strength. From the light banter to the more physically demanding scenes, they seem to tap into each other’s subconscious minds to complement each other’s performance perfectly. It’s almost as if, in a past life, they were actually a couple. Florence Pugh is no stranger to the culinary world. If you watch her YouTube channel “Cooking With Flo” you’ll understand why she is the perfect person to play Almut. Andrew Garfield leans into more of a modern-day Hugh Grant caricature playing Tobias. He leads with goofiness and is quite passive compared to Pugh’s confident Almut. However, Garfield really comes alive when he embraces Tobias’ bigger emotions, as seen in the unconventional birthing scene.

Takeaway

We Live in Time is an emotional rollercoaster ripe for hopeful romantics. It has a broad appeal which is fine for the status quo but I was hoping for an edgier, more artful approach. The film’s potential outshines the end result and ultimately is quite predictable. Perhaps in the hands of a different director, the film would have harnessed the much-needed energetic spark it so desperately lacks. Almut’s worst fear is being forgotten and, ironically, I fear We Live in Time will be forgotten amongst the sea of titles this year too.